An American at Degrassi
by wikk3d
Summary: What happens when Adam falls in love with the new girl from the United States? Will she be able to handle his secret, or is he destined for heartbreak?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.

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**A/N: **This story is written with the idea that my little sister begins Degrassi. This is my first story so please be gentle, but I'd love reviews. I have most of this story finished already, but I'm only going to continue posting if I know people are interested in what I'm writing. (:

Also, I made up some of the teachers, because I really don't know any freshman teachers' names. :/

This is rated M for language, violence, and drug use. I apologize if you don't agree with what I write, but it is just a story. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. (:

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New Girl at Degrassi

Chapter 1

Lexi looked up at the enormous doors that led to her new school. Her new life. To say she was scared was an understatement. To be honest, she was terrified. Not only was she a new student, she was new to the country of Canada. She had moved to Toronto with her older sister and her sister's boyfriend three weeks earlier. How her sister had convinced their parents to let Lexi move to Canada with her, Lexi would never know, but she was glad they allowed it. The drive from Louisiana was long, but very eventful. They had driven through a lot of the famous cities in the United States, and Lexi had really enjoyed it. She liked to travel, and her favorite part of the trip was passing through the mountains in Tennessee.

Her sister's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Lexi, you're going to be late. You have to get out of the car sooner or later," Brittany said.

Lexi sighed. "I know," she replied. "What if no one likes me? Not only am I American, I'm southern American. You know the stereotypes people give us."

Her sister laughed. "Lexi, everybody is going to love you. You're my sister, remember?"

Lexi laughed back at her sister's cockiness, but it was true most people got along well with her sister, and Lexi was practically a miniature version of her. They had the same taste in clothes, friends, movies, everything. Her sister was her best friend.

"I hope you're right," Lexi replied as she opened the door to her sister's dark blue mustang.

….

The hallways of Degrassi High School were crowded with excited teenagers looking for friends, and everyone seemed to be in their own little cliques. You would have thought it was everyone's first day to be in school by all the noise and excitement.

_Well, _Lexi thought, _this school can't be that bad if everyone is this happy._

She took it as a good sign, and smiled to herself as she bravely began to walk down the hall to find the principal's office.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, so she took it out to read the text.

It was from Brittany.

**Don't forget, you have to go to the secretary to get your schedule and stuff. Love you.**

Lexi typed back, **Duh…Love you too.**

As she was sending the message, she suddenly found herself on the floor with her purse and its belongings scattered about.

She had bumped into a tall brown haired boy. He didn't look too happy.

"Watch where you're going, freak," he yelled at her.

"Sorry," Lexi mumbled.

She stood up and began to pick up everything off the floor. Luckily, she hadn't dropped her phone. She shoved all her things back into her purse, and, red faced from embarrassment, she continued her walk to the office, only not as brave as before.

She made it to the office without anymore encounters, and retrieved her papers from the secretary. She welcomed Lexi to the school and smiled warmly at her. Lexi just smiled halfheartedly and walked back into the hallway.

Taking a deep breath, she looked down at her schedule.

The first one was Physical Science with Mr. Brown. She quickly found his classroom.

He was a nice man with a balding spot. He seemed funny though. Lexi was introduced to the class and found a seat in the back of the room. She doodled the entire hour. The bell finally rang and she walked to her locker. When she got there, she found three older students waiting.

"Can I help y'all?" she asked.

A cute brown haired boy giggled at her accent.

Lexi stared at him. "That was rude," she said.

"Sorry," he replied, "I thought it was cute. I'm Adam."

Lexi smiled, and shook his hand.

"I'm Lexi."

"We know," said the other boy. "I'm Eli, and this is Clare," he gestured to himself and the cute auburn haired girl with blue eyes. Lexi noticed Eli was pretty cute, too. He had a Goth look to him that she thought was really sexy, but for some reason, Lexi couldn't take her eyes away from Adam. He was just so adorable. Adam caught her staring at him so she immediately looked away as a slight blush colored her cheeks. She saw Adam smile out of the corner of her eye and couldn't help but grin.

"Well," Eli said, breaking the awkward silence. "I heard you already got off on a bad foot with Fitz."

Lexi grimaced. "I accidentally bumped into him when I was texting my sister back."

"Well you might want to stay away from him. He's known to try and get revenge," Clare said, as if she knew all too well.

Adam invited Lexi to sit with them at lunch and Lexi happily accepted.

She was so excited to see Adam again that her next two classes seemed to last forever, but finally the bell for lunch rang, and Lexi quickly grabbed her bag and ran to her locker. She found Adam waiting for her. She came to an almost screeching stop in front of him.

"In a hurry?" he asked, laughing.

Lexi blushed. "I'm hungry," she said.

He gently nudged her in the ribs, and said, "Darn, I was hoping you were excited to see me."

Lexi bit her lip playfully. "Are you flirtin' with me?"

"That depends," he replied, "Do you want me to be?"

Lexi's blush deepened, and she hastily turned the combination lock on her locker. She grabbed her lunch from the top shelf and turned to Adam.

"Come on. I'm starvin'," she said.

He held out his arm to her, and she happily linked her elbow with his. Just as they were about to walk outside to the sitting area, Fitz came through the door.

"The freak's a faggot, too, eh?" he bellowed, and his friends began howling with laughter. Confused, Lexi turned to Adam for an explanation, but he only gave Fitz a horrified look before he ran outside. Lexi tried to follow him, but he disappeared behind the cars. Worried, she looked for Eli and Clare.

Finding them, she ran to their table.

"New girl," Eli said, "Where's Adam?"

"Fitz said somethin' stupid in the hallway and Adam just ran off. I have no clue where he went," Lexi explained.

Eli looked really upset, as did Clare. "What did Fitz say?" Eli asked through clenched teeth.

"We had our arms linked together, and Fitz was talkin' to me and called me a faggot, and Adam just took off." After Lexi told Eli this, she thought about it and was kind of hurt Adam had run away instead of defending her or at the very least not running off. What did Fitz even mean by that?

Eli's loud "Dammit!" shook her from her thoughts.

"I'm going to kill him!" he yelled.

"No Eli! Violence isn't the answer. Just calm down and we'll go find Adam," Clare said softly.

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**A/N:** Well? What do you guys think? I'll post Chapter 2 when I have...5 reviews. (: That's it, only five. I hope to hear from you soon!

Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi. (:


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I know, I know. I said I would wait on five reviews, but I really like my story, so I figure if I post another chapter, more people will read and review. I hope I'm right. Anyway, here's chapter 2.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.

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**Chapter 2**

Lexi helped them look for Adam the whole lunch hour, and they finally found him sitting in Eli's hearse, Morty.

"This is your car?" Lexi asked. "It's incredible!" She could tell Eli liked the praise.

"It's not often people actually like Morty," he explained.

"Well," Lexi replied, "I think it's awesome."

Eli thanked her as he knocked on the window. Adam jumped then looked up. He had been crying, but was hurriedly wiping the tears away as he noticed Lexi accompanied his two best friends. Eli opened the car door.

"Adam, come talk to us. Are you okay?" Clare asked.

Adam snorted. "Okay?" he asked. "Am I okay? I just had one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. Of course I'm not okay."

"Why was it embarrassing for you?" Lexi asked, confused. Adam stared at her for what seemed like hours.

"It's nothing," he retorted shortly, then stormed off towards the school with Eli following him.

Lexi looked at Clare helplessly. "What did I do?" she mouthed. Clare shrugged, and then took off in the direction Eli and Adam had gone. Lexi sunk down to the pavement beside Morty and began to cry. She had no clue why she was crying over a guy she had only known a handful of hours, but after seeing the pain in his eyes after the confrontation with Fitz, she couldn't help it. She wished Adam would talk to her, let her in on this "big secret". What was he hiding from her? Could it really be so bad that he would rather avoid her than tell her what it was? A gentle tap on her shoulder shook her from her thoughts and made her look up. It was Clare, and she seemed almost sad.

"School's out," she said quietly.

Shit! Had Lexi really sat there for four hours? Her sister was going to kill her. It made sense now that she thought about it, though. She hadn't heard any bells, but the stiffness and pins and needles feeling in her legs when she stood up was enough to confirm that she had indeed been sitting for awhile.

"You want to come to the Dot? It's a coffee shop down the road. I figured you might want to talk," Clare offered.

Lexi wanted to, but she declined the offer as she looked at the time on her phone. Her sister would be here soon, and besides that, Lexi really didn't want to talk until she could figure out what was going on. Not only with Adam, but she was confusing herself as well. As she was about to walk off to find her sister, Clare stopped her again.

"What's your phone number? Do you want to text or something?" she asked, looking hopeful. Lexi relented, and gave Clare her phone number. Clare promised to text her soon, and Lexi just nodded as she saw her sister's car pull into the parking lot. She jogged toward the dark blue Mustang and let out a loud sigh as she dropped into the passenger seat.

"Long day?" her sister asked.

Lexi just nodded, and was pleased when Brittany didn't interrogate further. Lexi knew she would have to spill eventually, but she really wanted to work things out in her head first. They finally pulled up to the house after what seemed like an hour long drive, though it had only taken about twenty minutes. Lexi didn't think she'd ever get over the sheer beauty of their home. It was two stories, built in a Victorian style, and had green vines that grew up the side all the way to the roof. The two of them got out of the car and walked in the house silently. Lexi went upstairs to her room, and Brittany went to finish laundry while she waited for Philip to get home from work.

Lexi had only been lying on her bed for about fifteen minutes when her phone vibrated in her pocket.

**It's Clare. Adam apologizes for how he acted earlier. He had a bad day.**

Lexi sighed. He had seemed just fine up until the Fitz incident, even flirting with her, but Lexi just typed back, **It's okay,** and closed her phone. She fell back on her bed and closed her eyes, hoping for a short nap before it was time for supper. As if taunting her, her phone vibrated again. Lexi sighed and hit the button to view the message.

**Adam really likes you. He's just scared.**

Again Lexi sighed. These mixed signals were getting irritating.

**What does he have to be scared of? I'm just a girl, and Fitz is just a bully.**

It seemed like it took ages for Clare to respond, but when she finally did, Lexi was shocked.

**Adam has something to tell you. He wants to do it in person though. He's scared you aren't going to look at him the same, and that you won't like him once you know. He really does like you, but he's terrified of someone else knowing his secret. He doesn't want it spread around school, even though most of the school seems to know.**

Why would she think differently of him? What secret could be that bad? Finally, Lexi typed back,

**I really like Adam, too. I don't think anything could make me think differently of him. He's so sweet and cute. What could be so bad that it would change how I looked at him?**

Again, it took forever for Clare to respond. Finally, a text came through.

**It's not my place to tell you. I'll let Adam do that. Just don't break his heart, okay?**

Instead of responding, Lexi just stared at the message. How could she break his heart? She'd known him less than a day. Brittany's knock at the door startled Lexi back into reality.

"Supper's ready," Brittany told her.

"Coming," Lexi answered.

Brittany had cooked Lexi's favorite food, broccoli over rice with cheese. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until the smell hit her and her stomach growled loudly. She sat down and immediately began forking the food into her mouth. It tasted more amazing than it smelled, if that was possible, and before she knew it, she was stuffed.

She hugged her sister and thanked her, then retreated back upstairs to the sanctuary of her bed. Just as she got comfortable, she realized she needed a shower. With a groan, she pulled herself from the comfort and began to search for clothes. Finally deciding on a simple yellow tank top and black shorts, she walked into her bathroom. With the hot water all the way up, she stepped in. It felt amazing on her tense muscles, and Lexi almost didn't want to get out. If the water hadn't turned cold, she didn't know if she would have. Freezing now from the cold water, she quickly dried off and got dressed then ran back to her room and hurried under the blankets. She fell asleep quickly, and what seemed like only minutes later, her sister was knocking on her door, waking her for school. Lexi dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a simple cream colored long sleeve shirt. She threw on a pair of black converse, and then walked into her bathroom to straighten her dark red hair and put eyeliner around her hazel/green eyes. She grabbed her bag and walked downstairs, where her sister was finishing breakfast. Lexi quickly ate a couple of pancakes, three strips of bacon, and an egg. Her sister was smiling at her when she finished.

"What?" Lexi asked around her last mouthful of food.

"You didn't tell me about your day yesterday. Did you make any friends?" Brittany questioned.

Lexi thought for a minute, and then shrugged. "I'm not sure if we're friends or not. They seem nice enough, but I'm not sure if that's only because I'm new."

"Well, what are their names?" Brittany asked.

"Eli and Clare. They're a couple. Then there's Adam. I really kind of like him, but he seems more moody than a normal guy. It's like he has something to hide," Lexi responded.

Brittany thought about it for a moment before saying, "Well, if you want, you can hang out with them after school. I have some errands to run, and if you wait on me, I'll be about an hour late."

Lexi said that she probably would try to hang out with them, but at the very least, she was sure Eli could give her a ride home. After their conversation ended, they walked out the door and headed for the car.

It was a silent ride to school, but Lexi was thankful. She really wasn't up for talking anyway. She still had her mind on what Adam wanted to tell her. She said goodbye to her sister, then stepped out of the car, instantly searching for Clare, Eli, and mostly Adam. She spotted Eli and Clare standing by Morty and made a beeline towards them. They greeted her politely.

"Have y'all seen Adam?" she asked, hopefully. Both of them shook their heads, but Clare seemed a little guilty as she did so. Lexi sighed loudly and told them she'd see them later as she went to find Adam on her own. She didn't have any luck before first hour, so, dejectedly, she walked to her class. Instead of paying attention, she decided to write Adam a note. She could ask Clare his locker number, and leave it in there, so he would have to read it, or at least see it.

_Adam,_

She wrote,

_While I don't know what the big secret is, I want you to know, I don't care. Given I have only known you for a day; you are one of the sweetest guys I have ever met. If you don't feel comfortable telling me what's going on, that's okay. I still like you either way, and I am not going to judge you for holding back._

_Sincerely,_

_Lexi_

She finished writing just as the bell rang. She folded the note up and shoved it in her back pocket. She quickly found Clare and asked which locker was Adam's. Clare reluctantly told her, and Lexi thanked her and made a beeline for the locker. Surprisingly, his locker was only a few feet down from hers. She pushed the note through the vent holes at the top, and then set off for her second hour. The class went by slowly, as did her third hour, while she waited on lunch time. She hoped Adam wasn't avoiding her, though that seemed to be the case. Finally the bell for lunch rang, and she nearly ran outside. Thankfully, Adam was sitting with Eli and Clare at the same table they had been at yesterday. Lexi approached cautiously.

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**A/N: **So? What do you think? I'd really like some reviews, because that let's me know if you guys are enjoying the story or not. (: I'm not going to set a certain number of reviews. If even one person reviews, I'll probably post the next chapter, but I'd really like your input on what you'd like to see later on in the story. If you have any questions you can ask me and I'll be happy to answer them. (:

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Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **This chapter is for KidSimpson. (: Like I said, I have most of this story finished, so chapters will be uploaded when I feel like uploading them.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.

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Chapter 3

"Hi Adam," she said quietly. Then she said hi to Eli and Clare.

They all responded with curt hi's. Lexi felt a little defeated, but she wasn't about to let that stop her.

"Adam, can I please talk to you?" she pleaded. Adam shot Eli and Clare a scared look, but he got up and followed her.

When they were alone, Lexi asked, "Did you get my note?"

He nodded.

"Adam, please talk to me. I want to know what's going on," she begged.

"It's complicated. If I tell you, you'll just turn away from me like everyone else," he responded.

"Eli and Clare didn't turn away," Lexi pointed out.

"They're different," he said.

"And why can't I be different? You think I don't know how it feels to be an outcast? I'm an American in a Canadian school. I have very few friends, if any, and the three I thought I might have seem to be pushing me away because you're scared I'm going to reject you, which, might I add, is not going to happen," Lexi said in a rush.

Adam looked stumped.

"Look," Lexi said, "What if we do this? I'll tell you a secret if you tell me one."

He shrugged.

"I'm bisexual," Lexi blurted.

Adam seemed startled by her confession.

"That's right," she confirmed, "I like boys and girls."

His eyes seemed to brighten a bit.

"It's your turn," Lexi told him.

He hesitated.

"I...I'm… I can't," he said.

"Adam," Lexi pleaded, "Please, just tell me. Please."

He turned away from her before speaking.

"I'm a female to male transgender."

Lexi was shocked. That was his big secret? He didn't want to be a girl? She laughed out loud, and Adam turned around horrified. Realizing how the laugh could be misunderstood, Lexi regained her composure and explained.

"I thought your secret was bad. Like you were secretly a murderer or something. This isn't bad. I can handle this. You still look like Adam to me."

Adam's smile would have touched both ears, had it been humanly possible to do so. He didn't say anything; he just bent down and kissed Lexi on her lips. Lexi responded happily and she kissed him back. When he pulled away, they were both breathless, but smiling.

"Wow," Lexi breathed, "I didn't expect that."

Adam didn't say anything. He just smiled broadly and held his arm out to Lexi. She gladly took his arm as they made their way back towards Eli and Clare.

"Wow," Clare said, "I'm guessing you told her your secret."

"Yes, he did," Lexi answered as she gave Adam a small kiss on the cheek.

_I don't think anything could ruin this moment, _she thought.

"What's going on here?" bellowed a loud, male voice.

_Except that…

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_**A/N: **Thoughts? I know, I moved it kind of fast, but there's so much drama and action in the story that I figure it won't matter how fast it moves. Lol. Again, this chapter is for KidSimpson. My first fan. Haha. Thanks for reviewing. (:

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Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.

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**A/N:** Chapter 4, because my dad told me to do it. (: Enjoy  


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Chapter 4

Lexi turned around to Fitz bravely.

"None of your business, you overgrown ogre," she stated.

Fitz looked taken aback.

"Ogre?" he questioned. "I'll show you an ogre." And with that he lifted Lexi off of her feet by her shoulders. "I've hit a girl before," he said, gesturing to Adam, "Don't think for a second I won't do it again."

Though Lexi was scared, she wasn't going to let Fitz see that. Instead, she threw her head back then swung it forward as hard as she could, smiling through the pain as her forehead made contact with Fitz's big nose. He groaned loudly and dropped Lexi. She hit the ground and landed on her feet, then swung around and landed a kick to his chest. He fell back on the pavement, coughing. Eli, Clare, and Adam were howling with laughter as Lexi stood over Fitz. Before she had a chance to say anything, the principal, Mr. Simpson, was running in their direction yelling.

"What's going on here?" he practically screamed.

Adam regained his composure first and began explaining.

"Fitz was threatening Lexi, so she defended herself."

"Is this true?" Mr. Simpson asked Eli and Clare. They both nodded. He turned to Lexi and Fitz.

"My office. Now," he said.

Fitz pulled himself off the ground and they followed Mr. Simpson to his office. Once there, he called Lexi in and made Fitz wait outside.

"Alexis, you've only been here two days, and you've already skipped four classes and gotten in a fight," he said.

"Yes sir, I apologize. I didn't intentionally skip class. I was upset yesterday and I let time get away from me. I didn't realize I sat outside as long as I did. And I wouldn't have fought Fitz if he hadn't had me off the ground by my shoulders. He said he would hit me, so I was protecting myself. It won't happen again, sir," she told him.

He nodded. "We've had problems with Fitz before, so I see no reason why I shouldn't believe you, but if this is an ongoing occurrence, you won't be let off so easily. Two days detention for skipping class. You can go now."

Lexi thanked him and walked out of his office. As she was about to walk out the main door, Fitz stopped her.

"This isn't over," he muttered.

Lexi ignored him and walked outside. There was still about twenty minutes left in the lunch break, so she quickly hurried over to her friends.

"What's the damage?" Adam asked.

"Just two days detention. My sister is going to be so proud," she laughed.

"Proud?" Adam asked.

"Yea, my sister is all for girls defending themselves against guys. She won't be happy about me skipping class, but she'll understand. Speaking of which, do y'all want to do somethin' after school? My sister has stuff to do, so she can't pick me up," Lexi explained.

"We could all pile into Morty and go to the park or something," Eli answered. Everyone agreed, and they made plans for a picnic after school. The bell rang and they all went to class, excited for the end of the day.

When the bell finally rang, the foursome met up at Eli's car. Lexi and Adam had to sit in the back while Eli and Clare took the front seat. On the way to the park, Adam asked Lexi where she learned to fight.

"I didn't," Lexi responded. "Ever since I was little, if there was a fight or flight situation, I fought. I've always been good at it. It's the adrenaline. I don't even realize what I'm doing until it's done."

"Wow," Adam said. "Maybe you could teach me."

Lexi laughed. "Maybe," she answered, "but I wouldn't want to hurt you."

Adam laughed back. "I don't think you'd hurt me," he responded, pulling her close to him.

She laid her head against his chest. "You're right," she said, "I could never hurt you."

Adam pulled her chin up towards his face, and they kissed until they made it to the park. They felt the car stop, and crawled toward the door so they could be let out. It was bright outside when Eli opened the door, and Lexi squinted her eyes against the sun. They climbed out and walked over to the merry go round. All four of them sat down, and pushed their feet to turn it slowly.

"Adam, can I talk to you for a minute?" Eli suddenly asked.

"Uh, sure man," Adam responded, unlacing his fingers from Lexi's.

"What do you think that's about?" Lexi asked Clare as the boys walked off towards the woods.

"I don't know," answered Clare, but Lexi could tell she was lying.

"Clare, no offense, but you're a bad liar. I'm not a bad person, really. Y'all don't have to be scared to tell me anything," Lexi told her.

Clare glanced at her before asking, "Do you smoke?"

"Smoke what?" Lexi asked. "Cigarettes, pot, other stuff?"

"Anything," Clare responded.

"I've smoked cigarettes and pot, but that's it," Lexi answered.

"Do you still do it?" Clare asked.

Lexi laughed. "When I can find it, why? Do you know where to get some?"

Clare laughed nervously then went silent. She looked like she was thinking hard about something, before she said, "Follow me."

They stood up and began walking in the direction the boys had gone. They walked into the woods a little ways then Lexi heard quiet coughing and whispering. As they approached Eli and Adam, they started trying to hide something behind their backs.

"Clare! What are you doing?" Eli exclaimed.

"It's okay you guys, she smokes," Clare answered.

The two guys looked at each other in surprise, and then Adam turned to Lexi. He pulled a blunt from behind his back, and timidly handed it to her. She took it and took a long hit. She held it for a minute, enjoying the feeling she got as the THC sunk into her cells. It had been awhile since she'd experienced it, and it almost felt like the first time. Already more relaxed; she went and stood by Adam. She took another toke before passing it to Clare. Clare looked at it like it was poisoned.

"Saint Clare doesn't smoke," Adam teased. Clare looked at him like he had given her a challenge. She bravely took the blunt between her thumb and forefinger and took a huge drag. She held it for all of five seconds before she began coughing her head off. She quickly passed it to a stunned Eli as she doubled over trying to catch her breath.

"How do you guys do that?" she gasped.

Lexi laughed, "Just wait a second. You'll want another hit."

Sure enough, by the time rotation got back around to her, Clare was holding her hand out. Her eyes were already glazed over, and she had a crooked grin on her face. This time she took a smaller hit, and let the weed sink into her lungs for about twenty seconds before exhaling.

"How is it?" Lexi asked her.

Clare smiled, "Amazing."

"I can't believe you hit it," Eli said.

"Celebration for Adam," she answered, giggling.

They finished smoking and threw the roach into the woods. As they were walking back towards the swings, Lexi suddenly found herself face down in the grass.

"I told you this wasn't over."

_Fucking Fitz…_Lexi thought, _Well that's a buzz kill. _

She rolled over onto her back and jumped up quickly.

"Fitz, you really don't want to play this game," she muttered.

"You think I'm scared of a little girl?" he grunted.

"I think the black eye would be a good indicator that you should be," she answered. This pissed him off. He drew back and swung at Lexi. She ducked and kicked him in the shin. He groaned in pain and kicked for her head. She rolled out of the way and jumped back to her feet.

"I'm going to kill you, you freak!" he yelled.

"Not tonight," she retorted. As she said this, Fitz reached into the waist band of his pants. Lexi saw the silver gleam too late.

"Run!" she screamed at her friends. She took off running directly at Fitz. He already had the gun out and aimed at her. She took a deep breath as she slammed into him as hard as she could. They both hit the ground and Lexi immediately grabbed for the gun. He was stronger than she was, and before she knew it, there was a loud bang, an instant of pain, then blackness.

…

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Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.

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**A/N: **Reviews and such? Please? (:


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Alright! Here's chapter 5! It's getting exciting! Haha. I'm really having fun with this story, so I hope you guys enjoy it!

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Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.

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Chapter 5

Adam ran from the cover of the woods as Fitz took off toward the road. Lexi was lying on the ground, motionless. He ran to her side as he screamed for someone to call the police. Lexi was bleeding from her abdomen and she was completely unconscious.

"Lexi," Adam whispered, "stay with me, please. I haven't had enough time with you. Please stay with me." He pleaded with her a hundred times before the ambulance got there, checking every two minutes to make sure she was still breathing.

Adam rode in the ambulance to the hospital with Lexi, but they wouldn't let him go back into surgery. The police questioned him in the waiting room, but he was in too much shock to answer their questions. Finally Eli and Clare got to the hospital and the police turned the interrogation to them. They explained the whole story, from the accidental bump in the hallway, the fight at school, and tonight. The police immediately began a search for Fitz.

Suddenly, Brittany burst into the waiting room.

"What the hell happened?" she yelled.

Adam was still in shock and Clare was in the middle of a panic attack from actually seeing someone shot, which meant Eli was the only one stable enough to explain what had happened. Brittany's hands started shaking as Eli told her what happened.

"I'm going to fucking kill him," she whispered, her voice hoarse. As she said this, the doctor walked into the waiting room. He turned to Brittany.

"Are you Alexis's guardian?" he asked.

Brittany nodded.

"I'm Doctor Turner. The bullet barely missed all her vital organs. She lost quite a lot of blood, but she's stabilized now. She's in a lot of pain, so we have her sedated. She should be ready to go in a couple of days," he explained.

"When can I see her?" Brittany asked.

"You can see her now, but she's asleep. You can stay with her as long as you want, but the others will have to wait until visiting hours," Dr. Turner explained. "Her room is number 323."

With that he turned and went back through the doorway.

"Which one of you is Adam?" Brittany asked.

Adam looked at her timidly. "I am," he whispered.

"Come on," she told him as she walked through the door towards Lexi's room. He followed her silently. They didn't talk at all until they were both standing by Lexi's side. Adam was in tears, and Brittany was doing her best not to cry. So many thoughts were running through her head as she looked down at her fourteen year old sister lying there, helpless. _How could I let this happen? _She wondered. _I've always been so protective. What am I going to tell our parents? _

"It's not your fault," Adam said quietly. "It's mine. I shouldn't have brought her into this. I should have just gone my own way. I should have never talked to her. I'm so stupid." His voice broke and he began crying again.

Brittany was surprised by his words.

"Don't blame yourself for this, kid. It's nobody's fault but the fucking asshole who did this. And he WILL pay for it, but you shouldn't feel guilty," she told him.

He looked at her and smiled halfheartedly. "But it is my fault. A lot of people don't like me, like Fitz, and I knew that before we…um…" He looked down.

"Before you what? Did you have sex? Is she pregnant?" Brittany was really mad, but Adam just laughed.

"What's so funny?" she practically yelled. Adam stopped laughing, but he was still grinning.

"I can't get her pregnant," he said. Brittany looked confused.

"I'm a female to male transgender," he said shyly. Brittany breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank God," she whispered. Adam looked shocked.

"That's a good thing?" he asked.

"Yea, you'll probably understand her better than anyone else," she said, sweetly.

_This family is awesome,_ Adam thought.

Adam's phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and checked the screen.

"My mom," he said, almost horrified. Brittany gestured for the phone and Adam handed it to her.

She walked outside with the phone while Adam stood by Lexi's side. He looked down at her.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, taking her hand, "I never meant for it to come to this. I don't want to see you hurt. Ever. I'll figure out a way to make this up to you." He kissed her forehead and wiped away the tear that fell from his left eye. Brittany walked back in the room.

"I explained things to your mom. She wants to come up here and talk to you, but I told her you were pretty shaken up, so she'll be up here in the morning."

Adam thanked her.

They both fell asleep in the chairs by Lexi's side. They were awakened the next morning by an estranged looking woman. She looked as though she hadn't slept in days. Her brown hair was a mess and her eyes were red and puffy.

"Grace," she cried, as she walked in the door.

"It's Adam," he moaned, groggily.

He rubbed his eyes and stretched. His mother was knelt down in front of him, her eyes filled with worry.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt? I thought we had things settled with Fitz. Why hasn't Mr. Simpson done anything?"

"Mom," he groaned, cutting her off, "Chill with the twenty questions. I'm fine. Lexi is the one who got hurt."

"And who is Lexi exactly?" she asked.

"My girlfriend," he blurted before he had time to think.

"Your..girlfriend?" His mom looked as though she might cry.

Taking a deep breath, Adam said, "Yes, Mom, my girlfriend. She's new to Degrassi. She just transferred yesterday."

"And she's already your girlfriend?" Now she was angry. Shit.

"We really connect, Mom. She's not like other girls. She's perfect."

Adam's mom "hmphed" and got up and walked out. Adam sighed.

"Great," he muttered. His spirit brightened when Lexi began to move. She blinked a few times against the bright hospital lights, then opened her eyes. She looked around at her surroundings and took everything in for a second. Then she looked down at her stomach.

"I really hate Fitz," she grumbled. Adam laughed a little, and Brittany smiled.

"How are you feeling babygirl?" Brittany asked.

Lexi gave her a funny look. "I feel like I got shot in the freakin' stomach."

Brittany sighed. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm not," Lexi responded. "This will be a badass story later." She was smiling, trying to console her older sister. She only hoped it was working.

Adam's phone vibrated, and he pulled his hand free of Lexi's when he read the text. He covered his mouth as his eyes filled with tears.

"What?" Lexi asked.

Instead of answering, he handed her his phone.

**All of your things are on the front porch. I love you Grace, but I can't take this anymore. It's too stressful. I'm sure you have somewhere you can stay. –Mom

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A/N:** Agh! This story is about to get really crazy! I can't wait for y'all to read the next chapter! ^.^ I want to know what you guys think! (:  


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Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I know, this chapter is super short, but I'm sick right now, so I didn't feel like writing a lot. I'm sorry. The next one will be better I promise. (:

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Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.

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Chapter 6

Lexi was stunned.

"Why is she doing that?" she whispered. Adam looked away before answering.

"She's been trying to deny my decision about who I am for a long time. I guess having a girl friend makes it real." He was trying his best not to cry again. He hated crying. It just seemed so feminine. Lexi reached for his hand.

"You can stay with us," she offered. Adam looked to Brittany, who simply nodded. Dr. Turner walked into the room.

"Alexis," he beamed, "I'm glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

Lexi shrugged. "I'm fine, considering…" she gestured to her stomach.

"Yea, a gunshot wound is a pretty big thing for a fourteen year old. You seem to be pulling through it though. Any dizziness, headaches, cotton mouth, excruciating pain?" he asked.

Lexi shook her head no.

"Alright, well you should be able to go home tomorrow," he smiled before leaving the room. Brittany stood up as the door closed.

"I think we should go get your things from your house. We can leave them in the car until it's time to bring Lexi home," she told Adam. Adam nodded, then stood up and gave Lexi a goodbye kiss. She smiled at him and watched them leave.

Adam's mom wasn't home when they arrived at his house, but his brother, Drew, was sitting outside with a cigarette. He looked angry. Adam got out of the car and ran up to him. Drew caught him in a giant bear hug. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, then finally, Drew pulled back.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I tried to talk her out of it. She wouldn't listen. I don't know what to do. I'm so sorry." Adam punched him in the shoulder playfully.

"Don't sweat it man, I get to stay with my girlfriend now," he answered. Drew was surprised.

"You're going to live with the reason you got kicked out in the first place?"

"Lexi isn't the reason I got kicked out," Adam said angrily. "Your closed minded mother is the one doing this." With that being said, he grabbed his bags off of the porch and walked back to Brittany's car. He threw them in the back before sitting in the passenger seat. Brittany didn't say a word. She simply put her hand on his shoulder and then turned the radio up. It was playing Paper Bag by Anna Nalick. Adam hummed the first part, but busted out singing during the chorus.

_Meanwhile, I'll hide my head, here in this paper bag_

_Cause if I can't see you then you can't see me_

_And it'll be okay, fly little bee away_

_To where there's no more rain and I can be me_

_She hears them talk about her_

_She smiles like she's so tough_

_She says Hey can you talk a little louder_

_I don't think my heart's been broken enough_

They had arrived back at the hospital, and Brittany turned the car off.

"You can be whoever you want to be at our house, Adam," she told him. Adam smiled and thanked her, trying to be modest, but inside he was bursting with joy. He was accepted. He FELT accepted. It was a feeling he usually on got around Eli and Clare, but those times were short lived. Now, he would always feel accepted. Determined not to cry again, he got out of the car and took a deep breath of the cool Canadian air. Even that smelled better now. Despite the events of the past few days, things were getting better. He was beaming when he got to Lexi's room, until he saw her lying on the bed writhing in pain, then reality came crashing back down around him.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.

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**A/N:** Uh-oh! What's wrong with Lexi? She was fine before they left! I wonder what happens next! :D


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to update! I've been super busy trying to get things going right in my life and I was really sick for about 3 weeks. But here's the next Chapter! Review please! (: It makes me happy. ^.^

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.

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Chapter 7

Doctors and nurses surrounded each one of Lexi's sides, and numerous orders were being called out. They immediately rushed Adam out as soon as he walked in, and began explaining things to Brittany. She came out of the room after about ten minutes and sunk down to the floor next to Adam.

"She's fine. The pain medication wore off, and it was almost too much for her," she told him. Adam just nodded. Brittany pulled out her cell phone. She dialed a number and waited for whoever she was calling to answer.

"Jarrod, Lexi's in the hospital. She got shot. Yea. When will you be here? Ok, bye."

She snapped the phone shut and leaned her head against the wall. This was so stressful. How was she supposed to figure this out? She had no clue what she was doing.

Lexi got out of the hospital two days later, and Eli and Clare skipped school to welcome her and Adam home. Lexi was still in pain, but it was no longer excruciating. Luckily, she didn't have to carry anything into the house, since Adam was treating her like a broken baby doll. It was cute, really. When they got inside and settled, Eli helped Adam practically carry Lexi to her room, while Clare followed. Just as they were getting comfortable and starting a conversation, there was a knock on Lexi's bedroom door. A tall, blond guy walked in.

"Jarrod!" Lexi screamed.

He laughed as he walked in and bent down to give her a hug.

"What are you doing here?" she yelled.

"Brittany called, said you got shot. Why would I not be here? You and I need to have a serious conversation, though," he told her. Adam, Eli, and Clare stood up to leave.

"No, you guys can stay," Lexi said, stopping them. They turned to look at Jarrod. He sighed, and sat down on the bed.

"I want to know everything that happened leading up to this. We're going to fix it," he said.

Without question, the four teenagers immediately began telling Jarrod the events of the past few days. It felt like déjà-vu as they recounted everything that had happened. When they finished, Jarrod nodded, hugged Lexi again, and went back down stairs.

"That was weird," Lexi stated.

The others agreed, but they thought nothing of it. Instead they started a game of Truth or Dare.

Eli and Clare left at around eleven, and both Lexi and Adam were exhausted.

"Where do I sleep?" Adam yawned.

"Um…" Lexi said blankly. At that time, Brittany knocked on the door.

"Are y'all ready for bed?" she asked. They both nodded.

"Alright, I'll see you guys in the morning."

"Wait," Adam said before she could shut the door, "Where do I sleep?"

Brittany shrugged. "Wherever you want."

Adam grinned when Brittany shut the door. "Scoot over," he told Lexi. She happily obliged.

Brittany let them sleep in the next morning, even though Adam was supposed to go back that day. She figured Lexi would feel better if she wasn't alone in the house all day. Besides the fact she was still worried about Fitz finding her. Adam came running downstairs.

"I'm late!" he shouted.

"Shh!" Brittany told him, "Don't wake Lexi. You're not going to school today if you don't want to. I'd like you stay with Lexi until Jarrod gets here."

Out of breath, Adam just nodded.

"Are you hungry? I made waffles and bacon and stuff," Brittany said.

Again Adam nodded. Brittany smiled. She could see why Lexi liked him. He was a really sweet kid. She couldn't understand why his mother was acting like she was. She shook it off as she fixed Adam a plate of food. She set it down in front of him.

"I'll be back around three. Jarrod should be here around lunchtime. If not, there's plenty of food in the fridge," she said, grabbing her purse. Adam mumbled something unintelligible as he ate and Brittany laughed as she walked out the door.

After eating, Adam looked around the big, empty house. It was clean, so Adam didn't know what he could do to help. Finally, he decided he would wash his plate and fork and go back upstairs and read until Lexi woke up.

Lexi began stirring a quarter of the way through his book, so he set it down and went and sat beside her. She smiled up at him when she opened her eyes. He bent down and kissed her softly.

"Good morning, beautiful. How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better. I'm starving," she replied. Adam kissed her again before he went downstairs to fix her a plate of food. He stopped cold when the doorbell rang.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.

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**A/N: Well, what do you guys think? (:**


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